Dear Forum,
Before I get my axle stands out and crawl about under my car with a torch, any initial observations regarding a puddle of coolant behind my drivers side (LHD) front wheel would be very much appreciated? Leak seems to land on the deck under and in-between engine and gearbox, on the drivers side and (presumably) tracks to where seen below? Nothing dripping whenever I have returned to the cooled car?
Leak appears to occur as the engine cools; stops once the very top part (with the low/high marks) of my expansion tank has drained? Had no overheating issues, but only short trips since my very recent coolant flush and replace - Each time, same scenario - Leak and top-up?
Curiously, I also have a separate small (just) water puddle much further back and central under the car? Perhaps condensate from rear air conditioning blower? Under-body trays are off.

Coolant Leak

 

Does the leak taste sweet? It kind of looks like it could have orange anti-freeze in it. I do have the shields in place so any condensation may not make it to the ground, however you guess regarding the rear most puddle makes sense to me.

 

Thank you for your post.
The large front leak is definitely antifreeze; slightly sticky and oily. The small puddle further back and more central is water and (like you) I think it is condensate - The air is very hot and humid here - Particularly down in my basement car park!

 

Okay, I have taken a look underneath and the coolant is running down from the top of the seam between the engine and transmission on the drivers side. Now I need to decide whether this is Mr. Michael Hamilton's Throttle Body return hose leaking and tracking all the way back via the Inlet Manifold, or (perhaps more likely) a hose for the Heater Core? What do you think?
Is this core mounted on the back of the engine behind the Inlet Manifold, or are just the supply and return pipes situated there? I have not managed to find any diagrams or pictures of this very inaccessible area? Any ideas where else I might look for pics, instructions etc, please?
Please, do I need to remove the valance panel and windscreen wipers to access this area?
As you can probably tell, I am unsure of where to start!

 

Possibly the dreaded valley hose.
Tends to run down the back of the engine.
The heater core is located in the climate control 'box'and if it leaks
It would leak into the box and maybe exit via condensate hose.
Heater hoses run around LHS of engine,around engine and through firewall.

 

Meiron1, Thank you for posting.
I have read several posts regarding this valley hose (for example: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...on-s-c-149873/).
I am still not able to understand whether the N/A model has a Valley Hose sufficiently like the SC version to cause such a leak? Scroll down on the above link to post #5 from mrlovt and you will see that he poses a similar question to which Michael cannot supply an answer because he (Michael) has not experienced this leak in connection with his TB Coolant Return Hose (which appears to be the N/A's version of a Valley Hose)?
So I am caught between two stools. Do I start removing my Inlet Manifold, or do I remove whatever it is I have to remove in order to attempt to see something at the very back of my engine?
Please, any suggestions?

 

I have never had a leak in this area myself so I don't know the 'chapter and verse'
but I have asked the question on this forum 'Is there a valley hose on my 3.5l N/A engine?'
answer was 'yes' (Cambo).
I am sure that you are aware that a valley hose is vulnerable to excessive heat and hence leakage.
I can only suggest that it's the culprit in your case and that you lift the inlet manifold and have a look.
If it is leaking and you remove it you will know exactly what the replacement should look like.

 

Thanks Meirion1. Makes sense. That's me immobilised until I can get Inlet Manifold Gaskets shipped in from UK or USA!
Teach me a lesson; flushing and renewing my 13 year old coolant system and I am rewarded with a leak!

 

Just for fun:
Wife and I passed through Dubai airport a couple of weeks ago and ordered two coffees
at a cafe run by the International Hotel Dubai.
Coffees were rubbish and we refused to pay (mainly my wife-I call her my rottweiler)
After an argument with the manager we left without paying.
Fortunately there were no cops with Glock's around at the time lol

 

Meirion1,
Just be careful if you come back through here again and have to pass through Dubai Passport control before boarding your flight to Oz. I realise this is going to sound ridiculous to you, but we have had people arrested for ridiculously minor offences committed on previous trips? Example, a Brit had a dispute with a taxi driver taking him to the airport and when he returned he was arrested and questioned. I am fairly sure you have nothing to worry about with such a trifling issue, but these things happen and can cause delay and frustration!

 

I purchased a manual on a disk, the very same one on this site, B4 looking here. Did not cost very much, they sent instructions to download to your computer, & for a few dollars sent a disk which can be copied. When i got another computer, they sent me another link to copy things again. Now i can take a copy on disk, if i should ever need to access it on another computer, very handy.
The copier will print out instructions, for a step by step procedure, making things clear for you, to change your hoses as well as other stuff.

 

Is there a different/better manual out there for working on the X350/X358? The one provided here that can be downloaded is fairly complete although the procedures sometime are a little vague and better pictures would be nice. It has served my needs to date with no complaints and being able to get it is very much appreciated. The procedure to remove the intake and gain access to the valley area and related hose is outlined very well but sometimes books like Motors, Haynes or even Chiltons will include additional information with very simple instructions or hints. Not always though but they do often also have photos that help.

The Haynes book for my E type is nothing like the service manual and I wonder if there is a factory service manual like that available. Although if so it is probably only on disc(s) and I do like a hard copy.

 

This one is the same if i'm not mistaken as here, also a bit incomplete so to speak, but 6,384 pages, are a lot of pages.

 

I replied in the other thread on the valley hose, but will summarize here for completeness: yes the valley hose can leak just like the S/C versions and will drip down the rear of the block. On my vehicle the hose was dried out, swollen and not too far from bursting at the nipple connection to the block. On LHD versions the heater hoses route on the RHS of the engine and behind the block for a bit.

Definitely need to look and see where the coolant is coming from. I'd bet on the valley hose since nobody has really complained about failing heater hoses on these vehicles (though we are getting to the age on these cars where plastic and rubber are reaching the end of their useful life)

 

Meirion1, Thank you again - You were right - My leak appears to be from this 'valley hose'!

 

Thanks Michael. I definitely found orange coolant under my inlet manifold. I was very relieved to do so, otherwise I would have had to start trying to get at those heater hoses and I do not need to tell you just how inaccessible that area of our cars is! In fact, I have no idea how one would gain access?
Thanks again for your X350 N/A Valley Hose write up.

 

Glad you got it fixed without any major headaches. For those heater hoses between the engine and firewall, you'd probably have access with the intake manifold out. Probably could remove the cowl screen and all that to gain some additional space.